Water-tight snap-switch operating mechanism



Mar. 21-19%.

0.1'. HEN$CHEL.

WATER TIGHT SNAP SWITCH OPERATING MECHANISM HLED SEPT. 9. i920.

IN VEN TOR.

Char/e5 d Hewscke/ BY A TTORNEY.

Patented Mar. .27, 1923.

EZTATES CHARLES 3.,HENSCHEL, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

WATER-TIGHT SNAP-SWITCH (EPERA'TING MECHANISM.

Application fi1ed' September To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Crmnnns J. HENSCHEL, a citizen of the United States,residing at Brooklyn, county of Kings, and State of New'York, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in ater-Tight Snap- SwitchOperating Mechanisms, of which the following is a full, clear, andconcise de' scription.

The objects of my invention are to provide an improved water tight snapswitch operating mechanism by means of whic an ordinary snap switchencircled in a water tight box or shell, provided with a cover, can beoperated efliciently by turning the handle in one direction and remaininoperative when the handle is turned in the opposite direction and toprovide means for connecting the handle through the .medium of a shaftpassing through a stufling box in the water tightcover to an adjustablyspringmaintained cam plate, which engages another cam plate upon theswitch shaft, so that when the cover is removed for inspection, etc. ofthe switch, the cover cam plate is removed with, the cover and theswitch cam plate remains in position, thus permitting removal andreplacement of the cover without readjustment of the mechanism.

Other objects will appear more fully from the following detaildescription of the preferred construction and be pointed out in theclaim.

Referring to the accompanying drawings:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of the water tight switch box;

Fig; 2 is a horizontal cross section of Fig. 1 with the snap switch andthe cam plates shown in full;

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the device with the water tight cover removed;

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of some of the parts at the top of the snapswitch;

Fig. 5 is an enlarged view of the handle shaft and cover cam plate; and

Fig. 6 is a view of the cover cam plate separate from the other parts.

The numeral 1 indicates a water tight shell or box which is providedwith a gasket 2 and a cover 3 .secured to the shell 1 at the tappedbosses 4 by means of the screws 5.

lVithin the shell 1 is contained the snap switch 6 of any well knownmake, having a square portion 7 near the upper end of its 9, 1920.Serial No. 409,140.

shaft 8, which terminates in a threaded portion 9, and is best shown inFig. 4i.

Upon the shaft 8 is fitted the switch cam plate 10, the cam plate beingprovided with square central hole 11, to fit the square portion 7 of theshaft 8. The switch cam plate 10 is secured to the shaft 8 by the nut12,, and is provided at its outer edge with four upwardly extending cams13 which are designed to mesh with the cams 14.- of the cover cam plate15.

' The cover cam plate 15 is provided with a square central hole 16,which fits loosely around the square portion 17 of the shaft 18, whichextends upwardly at its cylindrical portion 19 through the stuffing box20 and is secured at its upper end to the handle 21, to which it isfastened by the screw 22.

The lower end of the square portion 17 is bored out at 23, as shown indotted lines in Fig. 5, to freely accommodate the threaded portion 9 ofshaft 8 and nut 12, and on the outside the lower end of the squareportion 17 is lightly riveted over to prevent the cover cam plate 15from being forced off by the spring 24% and to make self-contained theassembly of the cover 3 and parts 14- to it inclusive. The spring 2 1compensates for any unevenness of adjustment occurring throughcompression of the gasket 2 and holds the cover cam. plate 15 down indriving relation with the switch cam plate 10 when the switch handle 21is turned in a clockwise direction according to Fig. 1 and permits thecover cam plate 15 to rise against the spring, and the handle 21 to berotated in the counter clockwise direction without operating the snapswitch 6 or breaking the mechanism.

l rlodifications of this device may be made in accordance with progressof the art and one or more of the constituent novel elements may be usedor combined with one or more elements not described herein withoutdeparting from the spirit of this invention.

I claim:

A conventional snap switch mechanism, provided with a shaft having asquare upper portion surmounted by a threaded portion and a nut thereon;special means for effecting a watertight enclosure of the above switchmechanism designed to permit turning on or off from the outside by anoperator and including the following factors, a cam plate mounted uponthe miuare portion and secured thereon by the nut; a- Watertight caseand cover for the switch, a thumb turn mounted on the outer end of asecond shaft extending inwardly through a stufiing box in the cover, thesecond shaft being provided With a square portion at its inner end and arecess in the square portion forthe upper end of'the threaded portion ofthe shaft to effect alignment between the 10 threaded portion and thesquare portion of whereby the latter may be driven or remain idleaccording tothe direction of rotation in whlch the thumb turn s turnedby an operator. CHARLES J. HENSOHEL.

